“What I want to say today is that my thoughts and prayers are with all Queenslanders who’ve been touched by this tragedy and in this small state there will be many people who’ve lost loved ones,” Mr Newman said.

“The impacts will be far reaching across our state, so my thoughts are with them and my deepest condolences are with them and my point this morning is that we must reach out to them.”

He said those who’ve lost loved ones could expect every assistance from the State Government.

Mr Newman would not comment on the likely international political fallout from the crash and any impact on the G20 Leaders summit. Russian president Vladimir Putin is expected to attend along with US president Barack Obama.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has called on Australia to bar any nation involved with the downing of flight MH17 from this year’s G20.

“We need to find out exactly who was responsible for this and if anyone is responsible for this, they should not be welcome in Brisbane for the G20,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“If there is any country found to have responsibility for what has happened to MH17, they should not be welcome to Brisbane, full stop.”

She said she wished to offer her prayers and thoughts to all those involved in the tragedy.

“Tonight, there will be nine families grieving for their loved ones,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This should simply not be happening in this day and age and whoever is responsible must face the full international condemnation of this horrendous attack.

“To fly around countries is our right and for this to happen is simply a tragedy.”

The names of the Queensdland victims have not been released.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was en-route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and was eventually bound for Perth. Twenty-seven Australians were among the 298 passengers and crew who perished.

The Ukrainian government said the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

Malaysia Airlines said it had “lost contact” with flight MH17, 30km from the Tamak waypoint, 50km from the Russian-Ukraine border after 12am AEST. The plane came down near the town of Shaktarsk, in the Donetsk region.

The Boeing 777 flew out of Amsterdam at 6.15am and was blown up three hours later. Body parts and wreckage were spread over a 9km area in the rebel-held area nears the Russian border.

A Victorian couple who perished were not scheduled to be on the doomed flight.

Albert and Marie Rizk, of Sunbury, were due to return home today after spending a month holidaying in Europe.

A friend of the Rizk’s said they were holidaying with two friends, who caught an earlier flight which the Rizk’s missed.

Elaine Teoh.Source:News Corp Australia

Fears are also held for fellow passenger Melbourne University student Elaine Teoh.

Perth man Nick Norris and his grandchildren were also on the flight, according to reports.

Authorities believe a “significant number” of those on board — thought to be as many as 100 — were headed to Melbourne for the 20th International AIDS Conference.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed the plane was carrying 27 Australians but warned that the toll could be higher as the nationalities of some passengers were unconfirmed.

She said the plane was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur to Perth, with a connecting flight to Melbourne from KL.

She said Australian officials were seeking permission to access the crash site in rebel-held eastern Ukraine.

She said Australia would demand a full, independent international inquiry into the crash, amid reports Russian separatists have taken the plane’s black box.